{adios to 2010}

Goodbye 2010. 

 Hello 2011. I think it's going to be a good year. 

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 I wanted to quickly revisit my top 10 for 2010 list that I made a year ago: 

*Go on an adventure (out of the country) with Erika

-Check. Went spent an incredible 2 weeks backpacking in Costa Rica!

*Soak up each and every minute with my beautiful husband and be ever present and mindful of his heart and needs...and with this, start preparing for our family to grow

-We had an amazing year together....and I did prepare mentally and physically for our family to grow. Our little peanut is due in the first week of June!

*Do something creative every single day

-I think I did a pretty good job of this...even if it was just something extremely minuscule...i.e. doodling at work :)

*Nurture my mind, body and soul in every way possible(healthy eating, regular exercise, meditation, yoga, time with my husband, family, and friends....)

-I feel like I was really able to connect with myself this year in a way that I've never quite experienced before. The Journey certainly has had a lot to do with that. I've learned a lot about the power of intention and I intend to carry that lesson with me for the rest of my life. 

*Play more guitar and write more of my own music

-I am tentatively crossing this one off the list. I started the year out by playing a lot of guitar. I was teaching a few guitar classes, and played/sang in a friends wedding, and was generally playing a lot for fun. But that definitely tapered off later in the year. I found that my creative energy brought me more towards playing in my craft room. As for writing more of my own music...I think I got through about half of a song :)

*Take at least one picture every day

-Okay...I'm sure I missed more than a few days over the course of the year...but my pathological picture taking habits are still going strong. Unfortunately, my current camera is not doing so hot. But I'm hoping to buy a new one very soon (possibly by the end of the weekend?!)

*Read more books

-I've rediscovered my love of the library.

*Less talk....more DO!

-This has been my motto throughout the year....and I must say, I've stuck to my guns pretty well on this one. However, it is not always so easy.

*Try to be less of a creature of habit and always take the opportunity to try something new

-See the previous item on this list. The world won't come to you. You have to go out there and experience it. What a beautiful playground we have!

So, all in all.....I'd say I did pretty well this year. I'm working on another list for 2011, but mostly I think I'm just going to focus on living deeper in my relationships with those I love, continue spending more time nurturing my creative spirit, experiencing motherhood to the fullest, and always trying to live more from my (softened) heart and less from my mind. 

 Happy New Year!!
 :)

{spoiled}

Our Christmas was absolutely wonderful. Great food....delicious sweets....generous gifts....and most importantly, of course...precious time with family. We were missing my sister and nieces again this year..but they will be here to visit when the little peanut makes his/her arrival!

So...I'd just like to take a minute to talk about how incredibly spoiled I am, and show you some of the fabulous craft goodies I got for Christmas....

First is this super fabulous Clip It Up rotating craft storage system.  I absolutely love it...because now I can actually see everything I have, rather than things getting buried in the bottom of bins and drawers. Hooray for scrapbooking efficiency!

 Second is Adobe Photoshop Elements 9. I am totally excited about this...especially because the camera I have now has not been working very well, and the pictures come out all fuzzy and blurry half the time. I certainly have a lot to learn about how this software works...but I am super excited to figure it out.

And third is the Silhouette SD digital craft cutting machine! This thing is absolutely amazing! My mom and I have spent months trying to win one on different blog giveaways, which wasn't really working out in our favor, but she found a really great deal on one and got it for me. You should have seen the look on my face!!
So...the machine connects to your computer just like a printer, but instead of just printing the designs, it cuts them out with a small blade. It can cut paper, create clothing transfers, etch glass, create vinyl decor, make temporary tattoos, and more! Hello...amazing? yes! Let's talk about having A LOT to learn...but the possibilities are endless!

Here are just a few of the things I have created so far....(like I said, I have a lot to learn! Thank goodness for online tutorials!)

Needless to say...I am spending most of this week I have off of work in my craft room playing with all of my new toys. I am one lucky gal!!

{the most wonderful time of the year}

The excitement is building. I started the day off by hearing a little itty bitty heartbeat <3 and now I am headed to work for one more day...and then I am on a lovely break until January 3rd. Hubby has next week off as well and I am so happy we get to enjoy the time together. I've got a whole list of fun activities planned for us....and we'll also take the time to cross some things off of our ever growing to-do list.

The fun things include:

*finally going to see the new Harry Potter

*spending a day alone at Rootdown..hiking through the woods in the snow

*spending an afternoon at the Franklin Park Conservatory

(I won tickets on the radio awhile back..and they have 

to be used before the end of the year. hooray for free dates!)

*visiting with friends and family

*lots of snuggling, hot cocoa, reading, and movies

We opened our first Christmas gift yesterday. It came in the mail from my sister and nieces in Aspen (so very sad we won't be seeing them this year)... 

 Baby's first book...and one of my absolute favorites!

We will be heading out tomorrow to Cincinnati where we will spend a couple of days at my parents house, and then we will head back on Christmas morning to spend the day with Z's family, as we have been doing for the last 4 years or so. We'll see how things change when baby is here. We'll actually have to start opening presents on Christmas morning again instead of Christmas eve :)

So I wish you all the happiest of holiday..and all the joy and love in the world to fill your hearts!

I will leave you with Aurora's Christmas portrait for 2010 :)

{nursery}

My nursery idea photo collection is growing every day. How do we ever decide which way to go?! It sort of feels like planning my wedding again for some reason...except that we'll get to enjoy it for more than one day :)
I apologize that I did not save links to where these photo's came from...although I am pretty sure most of them came from OhDeeDoh: 

 {love love love the gray wall and white trees with turquoise accents}

As you can see....we're planning on going for a tree/bird gender neutral theme (since we're going to be surprised about the sex). I'm hoping to use every DIY bone in my body to make the baby's room a beautiful place to be! Dear crafty creative friends (and I have a lot of them!)...I will be probably asking for your help :)

{joy}

I realize I haven't written about my Journey in this space for a very long time. It's funny that I haven't because it really is such a huge part of what is going on in my life. But it also makes sense, because the transformation that has been taking place is so internal...and it truly is hard to put it into words sometimes.

We have been having our series of discussions (all over the phone) and webinar meetings since March 6th, 2010. So it has been 9 months in the works already, and we probably still have another 2-3 months to go. I just got off of an hour and 15 minute phone call...and felt compelled to reflect a little bit in this space about it. 

Words cannot describe what it has all meant to me. The 6 people in our group have grown so incredibly close on such a deep and emotional level. And even though I have never met any of them in person (except for Elaine, the incredible woman who is facilitating this experience), we have shared more with each other than we've probably shared with a lot of people in our lives. We have really sewn this fabric of openness and acceptance that has allowed us to know ourselves in such a profound way. Like I said, it's hard to explain...

Have you ever been on a retreat somewhere, or had an experience over a few days that left you feeling changed in a way you thought could never leave you? Well...I've found that those changes don't always stick with me as much as I would have hoped...even though they definitely made a lasting impact on me. With the journey happening over such a long period of time (probably around a year)...there are internal (and external) shifts happening that I am sure can last a lifetime. I feel like I know myself in a way that I've never had the joy of experiencing before...and a self love now resides in me that my ego had been blocking for such a long time.

I've learned to forgive myself and others for things that have been holding me back.

I've learned to trust that I hold an important place in this world and that I have a right to speak my mind. 

I am continuing to learn how to live from my heart space instead of my mind space, and how to stay softened around the edges.

I've learned that it is of the utmost importance to always be gentle with myself.


I've rooted through a great deal of the baggage of my past...and figured out what needs to be tossed away forever, and what needs to be kept. I've learned that it is okay to let go of parts of me in order to allow more important parts of me to flourish and grow.

The journey has been all of this and so much more to me...and how amazing to have the opportunity for these life shifts before I bring my child into this world. I think so much about the kind of energy I want this child to have around it...and I feel so confident that we are bringing it into a life filled with unconditional love and acceptance.

The world truly is such a beautiful place....and I can only hope that we all get to experience all of the joy it has to offer us. Sometimes it just takes a little bit of going off of the beaten path...but it's there....waiting.

So, instead of cursing the dark and dreary winter weather that has always managed to bring my spirits down to such low levels...I am choosing to enjoy the stillness and beauty it has to offer. It's almost as if time stands still for a little...and what a perfect time to reflect on life's blessings.

{weekend inspiration- a good day}

I picked up this Pricilla Ahn CD earlier this week at the library...and I have been playing it non stop. I particularly adore this song. I love listening to it first thing in the morning and on the way to work. The simple and beautiful lyrics seem to help me get the day started off right by reminded me that if I have the intention in my heart to make this a good day...then that's what it will be. 

{cookies and snow}

Good morning. How did you sleep? Well, I hope. Because I sure didn't! Hmmm...it seems that my body is preparing me for the sleepless night's to come. Even if I don't have any trouble falling asleep at first...I can't stay asleep for more than 2-3 hours at a time. and then it takes me another 20 minutes or longer to fall back asleep. Put it all together...and that equals very little quality snooze time. Luckily....I don't work until 2pm, and I can stay in a bed a little longer in the morning to try and make up for some of that lost rest...but it still just leaves me feeling groggy throughout the day.

I just got a prenatal yoga book from the library yesterday, and I will be starting a 10 week class in the beginning of January...so hopefully some exercise will help me catch some zzzz's! 

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Anyhoo....the weather is oh so frightful. Brrrrrrr. But the snow is pretty, I suppose. Over the weekend, we had out first big snowstorm of the year...and it wasn't even really that big. But Sunday was definitely the perfect day to stay holed up inside with the hubs and the dog. So our pajamas stayed on, and we spent the day making Christmas cookies, watching movies, and playing head's up poker (I lost both games). It was just the kind of day I needed!

 {the scene outside of our house}

 Well, I never claimed we were expert cookie decorators :)

{weekend inspiration}

I originally found this on The Wonder Love...and I absolutely adored it and had to pass it on. I'll soak up all of the motherly wisdom I can get...and these little snippets of inspiration sure do melt my heart a bit.

I woke up very early this morning (much earlier than I ever would have intended to actually get out of bed)..and had a terrible time getting back to sleep. All of the sudden I had a million to-do lists rushing through my head (mostly having to do with the impending arrival of baby Reat)...followed by a terrible bout of early morning stress. Why, oh why?

So in an effort to relieve some unnecessary stress at the moment...I am sitting with a pen and paper and writing some of these things out before I have to leave for work. At least then they are on paper...and when they do happen to get accomplished, I will cross them off. But for now..this makes me feel better. Never underestimate the power of a good to-do list!

Happy weekend!

{I'm in trouble}

Oh me oh my.....blog world. You suck me in each day and make it very difficult sometimes to get anything else done before work!

Here's what I just spent the last couple of hours doing:

*Reading every post on this entire blog...no joke: The Wonder Love

*Taking notes on this mama's must-have list for when baby arrives: Building a Tree House

*Reeling in delightful nursery decorating ideas on this site: Oh Dee Doh

*Eating. This is one hungry baby in my belly. 


Yup. So easy to get lost in it all. This is what happened when I was planning my wedding. Lovely and inspiring wedding blogs took over...and in the end, it made me feel even less decisive over what I wanted for myself! But I do have to say....I will eat up as much advice on all things baby related as I can...because lets be honest...I'm a newbie at all of this! But this is also my pledge to myself to try and limit my intake so that I do not end up making myself completely crazy. It actually might already be too late!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Funny pregnancy happenings as of late:

*I will absolutely have to have something specific to eat...like right now. Hubs will either prepare it for me or go out and buy it if we don't already have it...and by the time it gets in front of my face...it simply doesn't look/sound so good anymore. But I will definitely do my best to get it down because that man works so hard to please me :)

*Nose bleeds....holy cow. 

*My only real craving has been for hot salted soft pretzels. I even joked with hubs about getting me one of those pretzel spinning machines for Christmas.

{15 weeks...and a double date}

I have just entered my 15th week, and this belly of mine is growing rounder....little by little. It is no longer just a bunch of bloat...and that makes me happy :) I feel more and more connected to this baby growing inside of me each and every day and I love singing and talking to it and imagining what he/she will look like after making an entrance into the world.

Last night we had a little double date with our dear friends Lori and Casey. Lori and I found out we were pregnant within a few days of each other...and our due dates are only a few days apart! It is funny because we got engaged within a few weeks of each other, planned our weddings together, married within a couple weeks of each other, and now here we are on the journey of pregnancy and motherhood together. We always joked about having our babies together...but who knew it would actually happen! It sure does make me happy though :)

Lori has definitely had a much rougher time than me with everything..and my heart feels for her (and her sweet hubby). She was pregnant a couple of months before this pregnancy, but lost the baby at around 6 weeks. So she was definitely nervous the second time around. The worry of miscarriage started to subside...but then the horrible nausea and sickness set in. She was basically living in the bathroom for a couple of months unable to keep much of anything down. She was forced to leave work on short term disability and just this week she decided to go ahead and quit (since she was planning to be a stay-at-home mom anyway). The poor girl has been to the doctor so many times already, and is on a plethora of anti-nausea medication...but the good news is....they've got a healthy baby growing in there! The docs said it is actually a couple weeks ahead of the normal growth rate! 

So now she is feeling slightly better and has been able to make it out of the house more...which meant double date time! I can't believe we didn't even see each other throughout the entire 1st trimester. We were joking about how the last time we were hanging out we were drinking margaritas at a Mexican restaurant and saying how they might be our last for awhile since we were all trying for babies. No margaritas now :)

{weekend inspiration}

 

{via}

{sweet}

Tonight I came home to a kitchen filled with freshly purchased groceries and a beautiful little poinsettia next to a sweet card on the table.

The card explained how he was standing in the diaper aisle at the grocery store and that he could hardly contain his tears of joy. It says how happy he is to be on this journey with me..now and forever. Melt my heart. This is just what I needed...

You see...I had a bit of an emotional breakdown the other night. I had just come home from a very busy day at work, and hubby was going up to bed just as I was coming home (that's the joy of having opposite schedules..ick). I got sad all of the sudden that we don't get to spend more time together during the week. Then the waterworks came...even though I tried hard to hide it at first because I felt so silly. Oh pregnancy hormones!! My poor hubby hardly knows what to do for me in these moments...so he just holds me and lets my cry into his shoulder. I guess that was all I really needed...a good cry and a cuddle :)